"Providence teams guitarist Tim Weston and vocalist Shelby Flint for an intimate, emotionally resonant song cycle." - Jazz Times. "I started off copying a girl named Shelby Flint." - Joni Mitchell, Mirabella Interview. Shelby Flint and Tim Weston began writing the songs for "Providence" in January of 1992. By the time Spring rolled around, they had finished the material, fallen in love, and, by means of their previous individual track records, mutual friendships, not to mention a lot of luck; managed to assemble some of the finest musicians involved in contemporary and mainstream jazz (e.g. Peter Erskine, John Patitucci, Mitch Forman, John Beasley, Vinnie Colaiuta & others...) to help support them in the recording of their debut album. There were (intentionally) no rehearsals, just trust in the right combination of creative instinct and musical communication on the part of all who were involved. The result of all the above-mentioned ingredients is an extremely personal work, blending serious 'songs' with lengthy improvisations, offering the listener an atmospheric excursion through many moods and emotions. In addition to the eight original compositions, there is a jazz standard ("Alone Together") and a unique rendition of a traditional American folk song ("Single Girl"). Vocalist/Composer Shelby Flint is originally from Arkansas. Renowned jazz critic Leonard Feather described her as "a technically flawless performer, with a pure sound, and wide range." Her earliest recording; "Angel On My Shoulder" found her at the top of the pop charts, as a young girl. After years of studio work in L.A., recording and touring with her own band through most of the '80's, she most recently has been featured as a guest writer and vocalist on several contemporary jazz recordings, including her well-known song "I Keep It To Myself" as featured on keyboardist Gregg Karukas' "Sound Of Emotion" CD. Her partner; Producer/Guitarist Tim Weston is a native of Southern California. In addition to his work as a studio musician, he originally came to be known as a member of the Motown house recording group "Dr. Strut", and from 1984 through 1990 led the well-known contemporary jazz group "Wishful Thinking". He is also the creative director of his own West Coast based production company; Soul Coast. The album begins with the title cut's ethereal introduction. In commenting on the sequence in which the songs unfold, Tim says: "I chose to start the record with "Providence" not because it's the "title" cut, but rather because to my ears, it represents, in and of itself, the total concept for the album, as Shelby and I had imagined it to be. In that first track, the listener will hear the intent of the entire album and hopefully, it will encourage the person to continue listening." Another significant track for both Tim and Shelby is "The Lady Weeps"; an allegorical tale surrounding the inner pain of a 'woman' who is in fact meant to represent the city of Los Angeles. Although the song was written months in advance of the '92 civil unrest, Shelby still recalls performing the vocal during one of the nights when the city was under curfew and "we weren't even supposed to be at the studio." The musicians responded to Shelby's performance, and helped to capture an extraordinary mood on this recording. No self-respecting jazz record would be without at least one "standard" from the great American songbook. For Weston/Flint, the challenge was to choose a song that would blend with the originals they had written, and compliment the overall tone of the album. The lyrics of "Alone Together" are very intriguing, and the trio setting (Weston w/ Peter Erskine & John Patitucci) provides a spatial backing for Shelby's sensual interpretation. "PROVIDENCE" also includes two instrumental tracks; "Levitation and "The Hidden Treasure", both of which allow the players more freedom to improvise and "stretch-out" their solos. When asked to express their anticipation for the release of "Providence" Weston and Flint comment: "It's our hope that through our words and music, the listener will be drawn towards their own inner thoughts and feelings, and as a result, find themselves emotionally involved with the spirit of our album."